This itinerary was the last cruise we took pre-Covid. In fact, we were one of the last ships able to disembark at Port of Los Angeles before everything shut down. We love the itinerary and had rebooked/cancelled several times during the pandemic and were finally able to go. The Grand Princess was well prepared for resuming cruise operations, with some minor glitches in crew training and organization. The Medallion App didn't work well for me, and I hope they are addressing those issues. There are bound to be issues when there is a new roll out. The food was very good with a few exceptions. The entertainment was mostly good, also with a few exceptions. Unfortunately, the production shows (three of them) were lackluster as far as I'm concerned. There were lots of sea days to and from Hawaii and there was plenty to do. You can choose to run from one event to the next, or just chill out in a lounge or by the pool. The Enrichment Seminars and Naturalist Presentations were enjoyable. Very knowledgeable speakers. The Hawaiian Duo, Rowena and Brian entertained us as well, from Island lore to, singing/hula, to making Hawaiian crafts and leis.

The ports of call in Hawaii are accepting visitors, but not welcoming them. There were not the usual craft displays in the terminals, very little in the way of Hawaiian greeters or information kiosks. We don't usually book the cruise excursions and were sorely disappointed when there were no taxis, shuttles, Uber, or private tour vans available. We took the city bus system in Honolulu and got to Waikiki Beach for a few hours. Never did see the Hilo Hattie Shuttle or the Maui Divers Shuttle. There was even less available in Kauai. One person had reserved a rental car with the expectation of a rental car shuttle to pick him up and take him to get the car. The shuttle never showed up, so he called a taxi who refused to take him (it is just a short drive to the airport). Some took the local bus system, but it didn't seem user-friendly to us. No bus route info, etc. We ended up walking to Kalapaki Beach. It wasn't too far and was a truly beautiful beach. There was a small shopping area nearby and beach rentals such as paddle boards, chair/umbrellas, surf lessons, etc. I took the hint and booked the Pineapple tour on Maui and the Rainbow Falls/Zoo/Botanical Gardens tour near Hilo. Both were good tours. I learned so much about pineapple farming and the Maui Gold pineapples picked and served right in the fields were super delicious. The gift shop was understaffed, and they couldn't sell their pineapple alcohol wines and beverages because they were all under aged. I would have liked to purchase a bottle of pineapple wine. They also only took credit cards. No cash transactions. In Hilo, the tour was very nice and the walk to Rainbow Falls was beautiful hike. There were many stairs, not at all handicap accessible. However, there is a good view of the falls from the parking lot. The Zoo/Botanical gardens was nice, especially the gardens. The pair of tigers was memorable.

In closing, if you haven't been to Hawaii before, you might be disappointed. They are in the process of ramping up their tourist infrastructure and it may take a few weeks or months to get there. I have been there many times and sadly felt a definite lack of Aloha this time.